Yesterday's Sins (36 page)

"Money isn't the issue."

"The man's mad. He should be bribing you with gold and jewels to do his bidding."

Kate stood up gripping the table edge, disgusted scorn dripping from her words. "Alex would never stoop to bribery. And I would never accept a bribe."

Paula watched her, amused as Kate subsided, trembling from the force of her outrage at the very suggestion. Then the impact of Alex's words hit her. And the last veil ripped from Kate's mind. She touched the little tree with a trembling finger.

Alex hadn't bribed her.

Without fuss or fanfare, he'd shifted his business empire and brought her child to her, buying and restoring the house she loved. The monetary cost of ensuring she wasn't uprooted from her friends, or the small village where she'd made her home, was enormous.

And he ensured she knew this by telling Dave.

And she still hadn't understood or recognized the enormity of the compromises and sacrifices Alexandros Korda had made for her. He hadn't pressured her, but quietly demonstrated the depth of his sincerity and commitment by his actions. His offer of a divorce that would protect her identity was proof there were no strings attached.

She was free to choose her own future.

And she didn't need to be told that Alex would never go back on his word.

Kate stared at the little tree he'd brought her, fiddling with a silver leaf. She looked up at her friend and took a deep breath. "Alex and I are still legally married."

Paula stared at her, her mouth opening and closing but no sound emerged. Kate watched her, amused. It was almost worth dropping that bombshell. Paula rendered speechless was a sight to behold.

"
Whaaat?
" Paula finally found her voice, staring at Kate her eyes wide with incredulous disbelief. "You're married to Alexandros Korda?"

Kate nodded her smile tremulous. "Only Gregori, Alex and now you, know this. That's why he returned the other night. He wants us to tell Sarah I'm her mother. And he's asked me to resume our marriage and shift into The Birches and live together as a family."

Paula threw back her head and laughed until the tears ran down her face. Her pregnant belly wobbled like jelly. "Kate you are priceless. Are you going to accept?"

Kate paused, nibbling on her lower lip. "I'm thinking about it."

Since he'd given her the ultimatum she'd thought about little else. Suddenly, Paula grew serious. "And if you decide you don't want to do that, then what?"

And that was the sixty four thousand dollar question. What would Alex do if she declined? "He has offered me a discreet divorce."

"And you'll both live in this little goldfish pond unhappily ever after?"

And that was the nub of it. Alex had said he'd sell The Birches but how could she ask that of him? "He wants is my answer when he returns from Australia on Friday."

"Just make sure you know what you're one hundred per cent comfortable with your decision."

Paula's grim words haunted Kate.

How could anyone be that certain of any decision?

Chapter Nineteen

A
fter pacing her lounge for the umpteenth time, Kate finally admitted Alex wasn't coming. She could no longer delude herself that there had been a holdup at customs or in the traffic.

After all her careful preparation, it was a let-down.

Doris was somewhere outside, keeping vigil from a security van, giving Kate privacy.

And she had so much privacy she was sick with it. Enraged, she tore off the red silk dress. She'd bought it especially for Alex's homecoming and now she hurled it in the comer.

Angry and disappointed, she stripped and stood under a hot shower. She needed to see Alex, anxious to give him her decision. And he'd never bothered to show up.

Why hadn't he come as he'd promised?

Her hair fell in wet wisps around her face as she stepped out and wrapped a bath sheet sarong wise under her armpits.

What she needed was a good stiff drink.

She padded barefoot to the sideboard, splashing a generous measure of Glenfiddich malt into a crystal glass. She'd bought it especially for him as she knew he preferred it, and that added to her discontent. She took a huge swallow. The whisky burnt all the way down her gullet and settled as a ball of fire in her gut.

"Aaaarrrgh." She dropped the glass and clutched at her throat, spluttering for breath.

"Good whisky is meant to be savoured."

The dry, whimsical observation brought her spinning around. Alex stood just inside the door, tired and travel stained, an impossible grin creasing his lean features.

"Alex." Their eyes clashed and clung.

He dropped his suitcase and opened his arms wide. With an incoherent cry, Kate ran across the floor, and was crushed against him. He tipped her chin, grey eyes, soft with love and longing, scanned her upturned face.

Kate read their silent message.

Alex loved her but would never pressure her with his love.

"Missed me?" One thumb feathered across her lower lip.

Kate nodded, swallowing convulsively, the thundering pulse at the base of her throat betraying her nervousness.

"Tell me," he asked and she knew he needed to hear the words.

"I've missed you," she admitted in a breathy whisper.

"And I've missed you, sweetheart." His breath whispered across her mouth and he kissed her softly, took her bottom lip gently in his teeth, slipping his tongue along the sensitive skin just inside.

Kate flamed at the tender endearment.

The coil of loneliness and anxiety she'd carried inside her for so long dissolved. Alex did care.

With a regretful murmur he pushed her slightly away, a wry smile touching his lips. "I need a shower and a drink then maybe I'll feel human again."

He released her, stretching to remove the kinks from the long flight, before sitting down in one of her comfortable chairs, closing his eyes on a tired sigh.

"A bad trip?" Kate poured a generous measure of whisky, taking it to him.

"The plane turned back half an hour out of Sydney." He took a sip of whisky, sighing with pleasure. "A bad end to a gruelling day of negotiations."

"What happened?' Kate lifted a hand to her throat.

"An electrical fault. We were eventually transferred to another plane." His eyes roved over her very revealing outfit, a devilish smile lurking in his eyes. "Nothing as dangerous as that towel."

Kate blushed and fled, pulling on a terry robe. When she returned he was leaning back in the chair, eyes closed. "Are you hungry?"

He shook his head. He finished the whisky then stood up. "Do you mind if I have a shower?"

"No." Unruly heat flooded her cheeks.

He went across and picked up his case, pausing as he moved past her. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

Kate nodded shyly. He steered her into her bedroom, flicking out the lights. "Why don't you wait for me in bed?"

Kate pulled on her nightgown and slipped into bed. Alex came out of her bathroom, freshly shaved and wearing only a towel. His eyes twinkled as he slid in beside her, drawing her close. He held her a moment, then pushed her away, lifting her chin with a hand that trembled, betraying the effort his self-control cost him.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Catriona?" he asked huskily, staring deep into her eyes as if he would read what was imprinted on her soul. "I don't want you to wake up regretting this tomorrow."

Kate lifted one hand, stroking his lean cheek with unsteady fingers. "I'm sure."

A flare of desire blazed in his grey eyes, sending her pulse skittering. "There can be no turning back."

Alex hesitated, needing to be sure.

Kate didn't want to discuss his brief return visit or the ultimatum he had issued. She wanted to lose herself in the mindless pleasure only he could give her. Looping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down to her.

With a low growl he caught her lips in a hard demanding kiss.

Passion exploded between them, white hot and intense.

Kate was as demanding as he was, relearning every hard inch of his body, eliciting tormented groans as she became bolder. At last Alex turned her on her back nudging apart her knees, claiming the warm silky depths that beckoned with a lure as old as Eve.

He was relentless, driving her higher until she fell apart in his arms, convulsing around him and crying out in mindless abandon. Alex threw back his head, his neck muscles standing out in straining cords holding her convulsively tight before collapsing, all his proud masculine strength sapped.

It was several minutes before he moved rolling her with him, until she was draped over him, as fluid as molten honey.

Tears from the emotional overload ran weakly down Kate's cheeks. Alex, feeling their warmth lifted a thumb and smoothed them away.

"Sleep,
yineka mou
," he murmured softly.

"I love you," she whispered, spiralling into sleep.

From a great distance she heard his deep rumble of fluid Greek but she was too tired to translate it.

She came awake slowly, not wanting to leave the warmth and comfort that pervaded her whole being.

The muted burr of the phone broke the peace.

She reached for the receiver when the deep masculine rumble in her ear brought her awake. Heat flooded her face. Alex was speaking to a caller from her bed watching her with a lazy smile. Then his demeanour changed, his voice became tenser and more clipped.

His oath had Kate sitting up clutching the sheet to her chest.

He flung back the sheet and strode to the window and carefully edged the drapes back and swore fluently.

Kate slid out of bed and swiftly donned her robe and walked towards the window. Alex terminated his call and caught her hand.

"Don't go near the windows. We have a major problem."

He led her through to Doris's room where the video monitor was set up.

"Look."

Kate stared at the scene barely able to believe what she was seeing.

There were dozens of camera wielding reporters milling around the front gate, spilling onto the normally deserted village street. One enterprising journo jumped the fence and was trampling her fuchsia garden near her bedroom window, telephoto lens at the ready.

"What are they doing here?" she asked even as she knew the answer.

"Aiming to scoop an intimate, revealing photograph of us, I'd say at a guess."

"How do they know we are both here?"

Doris was vainly trying to stop the horde encroaching on their privacy. As they watched the surveillance screens, a van arrived.